Emma Matthews is an opera singer who has been performing for nearly thirty years. Emma is a soprano with incredible acting skills who made her debut in 1991 and has never looked back. As a young artist the legendary Dame Joan Sutherland declared Emma Matthews one of Australia's best opera singers, and today that is nothing short of the truth. Emma has received more Helpmann Awards than any one else. To date, Emma has performed in over thirty operas all over Australia. The critically acclaimed and highly decorated soprano's latest endeavour is the starring role in Bizet's classic opera The Pearlfishers with Opera Queensland. Shows commenced this week and run until 3 June, and by all initial accounts, Emma is stronger and more striking than ever. A vibrant, passionate, and extraordinarily gifted and trained musician, Emma took some time out of her busy rehearsal schedule to speak with Music Love about all the preparation that goes into an opera, a life on the road, some advice for aspiring opera singers, and her thoughts on the future of opera in Australia.